GTD This Weekend: Happily, Not Sunset Junction

GTD this weekend: the music festival’s called off, but you still can catch the bands around town. Also: Dolly Parton and pancakes, not necessarily at the same time.

SATURDAY

Womp, womp, Sunset Junction has been cancelled this weekend. Blame it on the organizers who had the audacity to sell tickets, rent booths, and book bands before having their ducks in a row; blame it on festival haters who really just love their neighborhood and hate to be excluded from their own goddamn festival; blame it on the city that may or may not be unfairly levying high fees…but, it’s not happening this year, and we all must move on. The bands have, anyway. A good number of them have re-booked their gigs; the Los Angeles Times has a good listing here. And sorry, ladies and gents, Hansen will not be playing at a backyard near you.

Or, just head over to Echo Park Rising, a weekend-long fest in Echo Park. A good number of the Sunset Junction bands are playing during this festival instead; in addition, various restaurants and businesses will offer specials and discounts. Free. Check out the website for participating locations and times.

Cinefamily hosts an all-night Dolly Parton marathon from – you guessed it – 9 to 5. Her best-of will be screened, including 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Good night, Dolly! $12. 9pm to 5pm at The Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave. in West Hollywood.

The San Gabriel Valley has displaced Chinatown as the primary epicenter of great Chinese food, but there’s still some delicious finds in Chinatown proper. Chinatown Summer Nights celebrates the neighborhood with restaurants hosting special menus and KCRW’s DJs spinning tunes. Free. 5pm to Midnight in Chinatown.

Our hometown Derby Dolls awesomely host a free health clinic for the community, with a physician’s assistant on hand to provide medical consults and free mammograms for women over 40 or women in low-income households. 10am to 2pm at the Doll Factory, 1910 W. Temple Street in Historic Filipinotown.

SUNDAY

Fancy some pancakes? If so, go really fancy and hit Jonathan Gold’s Pancake Breakfast. BLD, Salt’s Cure, 101 Noodle Express, among a good number of others, will offer their version of the breakfast food that the French consider dessert. No tickets will be sold at the door, so best get on this before you find yourself standing in an absurdly long line for Sunday brunch. $25. 11am to 2pm at the Vibiana in Downtown.

Do your friends like crap beer? Of course they do. Mine too. And that’s ok. Well, maybe it’s not. Grab your friends, grab your friends’ crappy beer, and go to Beer Belly. There, swap their crap for the bar’s craft in its Crap for Craft beer event. For the price of one single penny and the crap bottle of beer, Beer Belly will give you a pint of some damn fine craft beer. Your friends will thank you. $.01 + a bottle of crap beer (limited to one per person). 3pm at Beer Belly in Koreatown.